Lack of Disciplined Leadership Hurt GOP

Editor’s Note: House Minority Leader John Boehner has faced criticism for not being a strong leader. The below is a look at a specific issue where relaxed leadership may not have been the best strategy.

By: Jack Flock

I would like to see new leadership for the house GOP. I think this past summer’s energy issue is a good example of how poor leadership from Boehner cost us making more hay from the issue.

Boehner allowed, or did not discourage, anyone and everyone from offering up some sort of energy legislation. As a result we ended up with 17-plus pieces of energy legislation swirling around the House.

This allowed every moderate Democrat to be able to “co-sponser” one of the many energy bills and then campaign back in the district that they are “for increasing domestic energy production” knowing full well that with support spread over 17-plus bills NOTHING would have enough support to actually move forward with any chance of passage. Knowing full well there was no danger of upsetting Nancy Pelosi and the extreme environmentalists.

A leader like Newt would have never let this happen. He would have made sure there was one Republican sponsored energy plan that required put up or shut up time for the moderate Democrats. One plan that would have gotten enough support and traction with the media to make the Democrat’s squirm in their opposition or lack of support.

The Republican minority would have had a chance to advance positive legislation for the country or at least pull the veil away form the so-called moderate Democrats and expose them for what they are, lapdogs to Nancy Pelosi and the liberal leadership, not blue dog independents.

Jack Flock owns a small business in Mishawaka, Indiana and is a staunch conservative Republican.